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The District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) has initiated steps to hole a data-based enactment program to forestall drowning accidents successful the territory successful the aftermath of repeated incidents reported from antithetic parts of Ernakulam.
The ongoing efforts presume added value arsenic the territory has witnessed a bid of drowning incidents recently, the latest being the decease of Delhi-based exemplary Divyanshu Joshy. The 26-year-old drowned successful an abandoned quarry pond astatine Pettamala adjacent Kuruppampady successful Perumbavoor connected Thursday afternoon. He reportedly entered the h2o portion scouting locations for an advertisement shoot.
As portion of the plan, the DDMA has begun compiling information connected drowning incidents reported implicit the past 3 years. Data from the constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services departments are being collected to place hotspots with recurring cases. Once identified, location-specific preventive measures volition beryllium suggested based connected the quality of the waterbody and its surroundings. The connection besides includes ensuring the availability of basal rescue instrumentality specified arsenic ropes, throwbags and lifebuoys astatine susceptible locations,” said Anjali Parameswaran, hazard analyst, DDMA.
One of the large challenges officials look successful compiling the information is that constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services records besides see termination cases. The incidents volition person to beryllium verified to find whether a peculiar determination is genuinely accident-prone.
The DDMA plans to instrumentality the programme by July adjacent twelvemonth aft obtaining support from the State Disaster Management Authority.
Officials said section bodies person repeatedly been advised to guarantee information measures and instal informing boards astatine abandoned quarry ponds. In the latest incidental astatine Perumbavoor, informing boards had already been placed astatine the quarry, according to officials.
The DDMA besides said consciousness classes are being conducted regularly, particularly successful acquisition institutions, with enactment from National Disaster Response Force and Fire and Rescue Services personnel.
The Fire and Rescue Services section had earlier this twelvemonth identified 68 high-risk drowning zones nether 17 occurrence stations successful the district. Ernakulam reported 317 drowning fatalities betwixt 2023 and 2025.
This twelvemonth alone, a teenage lad drowned successful a water astatine Nettoor, portion 3 22-year-old students of Baselios Dental College drowned successful the Palavanpadi stream astatine Vadattupara adjacent Kothamangalam. In different incidental connected April 29, 3 nursing students drowned successful the Periyar Valley canal astatine Asamannoor adjacent Perumbavoor.
